In an interview with GameSpot, EA said people's fears are "understandable," at the same time as calling the accusations "hard to dodge."

Offering his take on people's concerns, Chris Matthews (art director at EA Motive, the team behind Battlefront II's campaign) said: "Right now there have been games that exploit players and there have been games that have done it in better ways."

He continued: "DICE [developer of Battlefront II's multiplayer] has taken great care to make sure that Star Cards and the way they work give you more options in battle. Terms like pay-to-win and stuff like that are hard to dodge, but the guys are doing a really incredible job of trying to balance that system.

"[The response] is not annoying because we love the fans. We're gamers and we're trying to make something that's super-compelling that everybody's going to enjoy, but, you know, it's understandable."

Mitch Dyer, one of the campaign's writers, went on to say DICE is listening to players' feedback. "The beta existed for things like this," he said. "To look at things like, how are people responding to the balance and the maps and how everything flows? What are people enjoying or not enjoying? What's working? What's not working? We'll take all of that from the beta and start pumping it back into the game to improve it because Battlefront II is a game that exists because of feedback from fans. Couch co-op, a single-player campaign... these elements exist because people wanted them, which I think, to DICE's credit, shows that they are listening and they do listen to feedback."

When asked if they can envisage a version of the game where the loot crate system is removed, Matthews was non-commmital, stating, "We're not really in a great position to talk about that" and, "The guys at DICE would give you a great answer."

"As a balance goal, we're working towards having the most powerful items in the game only earnable via in-game achievements," the developer explained. Crates are obtained by completing challenges "and other gameplay milestones" or by purchasing them--either with credits earned in-game or real-world money. Inside crates, you'll find Star Cards, emotes, victory poses, and outfits; any duplicate Star Cards you receive are turned into crafting parts that can be put toward other Star Cards of your choosing.

Star Cards impact gameplay and, because of this, have become a major concern for players. But DICE claims there is more to becoming powerful than simply buying a crate and getting a good Star Card. "You have to earn the right to be able to upgrade Star Cards and unlock most weapons," it said. "You can only upgrade or unlock them if you have reached a high enough rank, which is determined by playing the game."